HE KNOWS MY WAY

"But he knows the way that I take;when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold." Job 23:10

"When my spirit faints within me,you know my way!" Psalm 142:3

"Commit your way to the LORD;trust in him, and he will act." Psalm 37:4

I have come to discover that there are a infinite number of things that I do not know about God, others, and myself. I can only know (and even then I'm not sure I really know and understand) the things that God chooses to reveal to me about Himself. I can only know what I see in others behavior or what they choose to tell me about themselves. But even then, you may not tell me the truth about yourself nor can I even begin to comprehend what goes on inside of you. Then, there is what I know about myself. I have discovered things that, until recently, I have never understood nor known about me. Trials have that tendency to cause us much inner reflection.

Oh how thankful I am for the knowledge that God has about all things! When we are going through trials, crises, disappointments, defeats, times of darkness, and catastrophe God knows. "But he knows the way that I take;when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold." (Job 23:10)
God knows the way that I take. That means whatever you are going through at this very moment. I may not have the slightest idea of what is going on, where I am going, why this is happening, or what is going to be the outcome. I may very well see and feel nothing but darkness and hopelessness. The way may seem crooked, tangled, and downward but "He knows".

Because God knows, God has somehow planned this in His sovereign governing over all of life. He is not surprised, puzzled, helpless, passive, or disconnected from "the way" you are on in life. He is an almighty, loving, purposeful, kind, compassionate, and merciful God. "The way" seems very dark to me, the furnace may be hot, the present may seem to much to bear. Nevertheless, even if I cannot trace His hand in my way, I can trust His heart and purpose. Job writes, "when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold" (Job 23:10). Isn't that why the confident Paul could so confidently boast in Romans 8:28, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose"?

When I feel that I am all alone and helpless in my life, God is nearest to me. "When my spirit faints within me, You know my way." (Psalm 142:3). "He knows my way". That means He is intimately acquainted with me and my present circumstance and experience. He "will never leave me or forsake me" (Hebrews 13:5). I am not left to myself to face or deal with this when I have no strength, ability, or motivation."So we can confidently say,'The Lord is my helper;I will not fear; what can man do to me?' "(Hebrews 13:4b).

Because God knows I can rest in His acting, powerful, guiding, strengthening, and personal hand over every second of my troubled life. that is why David gave this exhortation in Psalm 37:5-7, "Commit your way to the LORD;trust in him, and he will act.He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,and your justice as the noonday.Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him..." I am discovering that the worst place for my flesh, but the best place for my soul is to hand over my circumstance (what David calls "your way") over to the God who knows and works, and thus surrenders, trusts, and submits to His work in these circumstances.

Psalm 138:7 is a great promise for us when we are in "the way" of our lonely, difficult, seemingly hopeless days. "Though I walk in the midst of trouble,you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,and your right hand delivers me." Although His answer seems silent and we continue to walk in the midst of trouble; God says that this is the place where He will not leave or fail us, but instead, will preserve us and will work out His plans and purposes for our lives. "I cry out to God Most High,to God who fulfills his purpose for me....The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me" (Psalm 57:2;138:8).

The knowledge of God's knowledge helps me to agree with the poet George Herbert who wrote in his poem called The Bag:

Away, Despair! My gracious Lord doth hear:
Though winds and waves assault my keel,
He doth preserve it: he doth steer,
Ev'n when the boat seems most to reel:
Storms are the triumph of his art:
Well may he close his eyes, but not his heart."

Waiting in my way,

Pastor Bill